Cars 2: The Video Game

Like a few folks, I was surprised with the direction Pixar took with Cars 2. Quite frankly, I was expecting another adventure in Radiator Springs. but the trailer that’s been out for a few months shows a different approach — one involving spies and international intrigue. I can’t imagine Mater or Lightning McQueen going all James Bond on us, but there they are, engaged in espionage and saving the world.

It’s a genre that dovetails naturally into video games. There’s a number of directions that a developer can take the project, and when Avalanche Software heard about it, the team was excited. What did they come up with? It’s racer in the same vein asMario Kart. The developer that worked on the surprisingly good Toy Story 3: The Video Game returns with another Pixar-themed offering — Cars 2: The Video Game.

I had a chance to check out the game last week at the Academy of Arts warehouse building, which houses a large collection of classic cars. It was a fitting place for Pixar director John Lasseter and Avalanche Software senior producer Jonathan Warner and producer John Day to show off the game. It features 15 different tracks and eight modes that emphasize competitive, split-screen gameplay. There is no online play. Lasseter wanted a game fans can play locally with friends and family.